Andrea B. Del Guercio on Curating at the 2026 Chengdu Biennale

The 12th edition of the Chengdu Biennale, titled 'Pulse of Life', features 251 artists and 328 works from 29 countries, with 45 works created specifically for the city. Curated by Wu Hongliang, the biennale is structured around six thematic nuclei, including 'Where the Heart Belongs', 'The Extraordinary in the Ordinary', and '24 Hours in Chengdu', plus an outdoor exhibition area opened in December 2025. Italian art historian Andrea B. Del Guercio, a student of Mina Gregori and former professor at Brera, serves as consultant to the director and curated the subsection 'Where the Heart Belongs' with works by Renato Ranaldi, Ange Leccia, and Vittorio Corsini. Del Guercio also installed his own work 'The Museum is my Home', a furnished space blending his private collection with objects from Chengdu. He highlights the biennale's independence due to its location in Sichuan province, its free admission, and the absence of national pavilions, replaced by 20-30% international curatorial presence. Del Guercio notes the Chinese public's extraordinary curiosity and the importance of teamwork, citing his collaboration with CastaliaArt. He contrasts the Chinese system with the West, where galleries and market are less invasive, and praises the academic rigor of curators like Fan Di'an and Lu Peng. The interview was conducted by Alberto Mugnaini for Artribune.